Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-04-01
IN THE SICK ROOM.
Rules to Be Observed by Those Ia Chr re-
of Suffering Friends.

Rules to Be Observed by Those Ia Chr rye
of Suffering Friends.
A person who is ailing should be kept
in bed in well-ventilated room where
plenty of fresh air is admitted from
open windows. If in winter, the tenn.
perature can be regulated by artificial
heat from an open fire, or otherwise, as
most convenient, and the window low
cred from the top In summer the
blinds or awnings should be arranged
to exclude the direct rays of the sun.
The patient should be encouraged to
sleep as much as possible and never
awakened under any pretense. If there
are children in the house they should
be kept out of the room. When there
is headache, or pain in the eyes, read
ing must be prohibited and very few
visitors admitted. A warm sponge
bath should be given in the morning,
and very light breakfast: oatmeal
cruel, breA and milk, a cup of cocoa,
or tea, with soda biscuit. If there is
no improvement as the day goes on, the
food must be very simple and given in
small quantities. The difficulty may
arise from an r-burdened stomach
which requires rest before it can recover
tone. When there is nausea, fasting
for some hours should be tried, and then
a few spoonfuls of cold milk and lime
water given cautiously. When the head
is hot, relief can be obtained by wiring
ing strip of linen out of ice water and
laying single thickness on the fore
head. In this case the feet will prob
ably be cold, and should have bottles of
hot water wrapped in flannel put to
them. If the throat is sore, a strip of
flannel may be wrung out of cold water
and bound around it, covered with
cotton bandage. If there is only slight
inflammation, this will relieve it. When
there is constipation a simple enema
Of warm water may be given as safer
than any purgative medicine. No one
should be allowed to sleep in the same
bed with a person who is even slightly
indisposed. The invalid will rest more
quietly alone, and it is not fair to ex-
pose any one to the chance of possible
infection. If there is no Improvement
in few days, a physician should be
sent for, as the case is beyond home
treatment. 1t is better to call in a doc
tor ten times unnecessarily than once
to delay summoning him until it is too
late for him to be of use. In China a
physicians fee is ten cents a visit, and
his patients act upon the principle of no
cure, no pay. Medical advice is more
expensive with us, and cost deters some
prudent people from having it for
what they considered insufficient
causes The prescription of compe-
tent, trustworthy doctor in the early
stages of disease may be the means
OF preventing a serious illness, and is
worth far more than is ever asked for it.
When physician is called in, his di-
rections should be implicitly followed.
There is not the slightest use in intrust-
ing the case to him and then acting
upon ones own Judgment whether to
carry out his orders or not 1t is unfair
both to him and the sufferer us the sue
cess of the treatment depends upon its
being faithfully administered. Every
doctor can call to mind scores of cases
in which recovery has been retarded,
or rendered impossible, by disobedience
to his orders. Elizabeth Robinson SEQ
ctf, IN Good Housekeeping.